Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Musings from someone who sees stories everywhere.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

gems from the wilderness

I recently had the pleasure of interacting with a renowned wildlife photographer, Mr. Naryanaswamy. Each artist consciously and unconsciouly lends his own perspective upon his work. In Mr. N's photographs of wildlife, I perceived, apart from his deep love for nature, an interest in the more amiable and friendly aspects of wild animals. The stories behind many of these photos are interesting too. My article based on our conversations was published some days ago in Deccan Herald, the school edition. Since it isn't available on the web, I'm posting it here.

WILD JEWELS By Monideepa Sahu

When peacocks fly, they display startling flashes of bright orange feathers on their wings, which are otherwise hidden. Wild jungle fowl appear drab to blend in with their forest surroundings, but bright, colourful highlights illuminate their plumage in the sunlight. Armed with the best cameras and sharpest lenses, international award-winning wildlife photographer K.M. Narayanaswamy films many such gems of natural beauty. Among his many honours, he is the ARPS (Associate of Royal Photographic Society, England), and was a member of the Indian team that won the Silver Medal (Nature Prints) in the 14th Biennial FIAP World Cup Photographic Competition in Spain. One of his most appreciated photographs is of three wild tiger cubs inside their den deep in a forest. “They were just three weeks old, and barely the size of kittens,” K.M. Narayanaswamy reminisces. “Even their eyes had not yet fully developed, and that is why they appear blue in the photo. I resisted the urge to cuddle the cute little cubs. We must never touch, or otherwise disturb the babies of wild animals. Even if the mother is not present, she can sense the presence of humans, and she may panic and abandon the helpless babies.” Photographing the adorable tiger cubs was a difficult and dangerous task. As Deputy Conservator of forests, he would instruct the forest guards to keep him posted on movements of wildlife. When he learnt of the presence of a mother cub and her newborn litter, his excitement was boundless. He and his team painstakingly tracked them for days through the dense jungles, and then hid themselves near the den. When the mother went away to hunt, K.M. Narayanaswamy stealthily went within three feet of the den’s entrance to take unique pictures. “If their mother had seen me, I would not have lived to tell the tale,” he tells us. “Even though I was careful to keep at a distance from them, the mother sensed human presence and immediately moved them to a new hideout after she returned.” This marvellous picture won prestigious international awards, and has been included in many international books on wildlife.

Baby animals and wildlife families find a special place in K.M. Narayanaswamy’s pictures. His photo of a brood of barn owl chicks look like mischievous children posing for their class photo. In a picture taken in Doroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, tiny cubs try to clamber playfully on their mother’s back as she walks with a serious and determined manner. K.M. Narayanaswamy waited for hours every day at dawn to capture a pair of river terns mating. After their little chicks hatched, he photographed the parents taking turns to feed their young. “Wild creatures can be loving and caring just like humans,” he observes.

K.M. Narayanaswamy’s pictures often capture animals in a friendly and playful mood. He has taken photos of a pair of tuskers in Kabini playing like schoolboys. Two rhinos in Kaziranga face each other in another picture as though sharing interesting secrets. Another series of photos shows a male elephant covering himself with a luxurious slather of mud, and then spraying himself with water from his trunk. “It was like an elaborate spa beauty treatment, which took the elephant nearly three hours,” says K.M. Narayanaswamy.

The brilliant hues of nature also find a prominent place in his photos. His photo of a blue jay or Neelakantha bird is striking, showing he glowing shades of turquoise, indigo and peacock blue of its plumage. This state bird of Karnataka has chosen an equally colourful meal; a bright green fuzzy caterpillar. K.M. Narayanaswamy spends long hours waiting for the right effects of sunlight and shadows on his wild subjects. “The dazzling colours of nature are wonderful,” he says. “They are created by God and not by computers.”

Becoming an internationally celebrated wildlife photographer involved years of dedication and effort. He joined the Indian Forest Service in 1985 where documenting wildlife was part of the job. Inspired by accomplished seniors like Shri. M. N. Jayakumar, he began photography in 2000. His work took K.M. Narayanaswamy to different parts of the country, where he observed wildlife in their natural surroundings.

K.M. Narayanaswamy is deeply interested in sharing the wonderful world of nature with young people. He takes sessions in schools and colleges.

2 comments:

About Me

I'm a former banker. Tired of managing money for others and not making much for myself, I quit and took to writing. I still don't have money, but it now seems less important. My fantasy/adventure novel for younger readers, Riddle of the Seventh Stone, is published by Young Zubaan. I've also authored Rabindranath Tagore: the Renaissance Man (Puffin Lives). My short fiction has most recently been accepted into A Rainbow Feast: New Asian Stories (Marshall Cavendish, Singapore), Behind the Shadows (Stories from Africa and Asia), The Killer App and other paranormal stories (Penguin), Music of the Stars and other love stories (Scholastic),Bad Moon Rising;The Puffin Book of Mystery Stories, Diwali Stories (Scholastic), The New Anthem:The Subcontinent in it Own Words (Tranquebar), Temenos (Central Michigan University), Apocalypse (Northeastern Illinois University), Urban Voice and Hobart.
I have been a Views columnist with Bangalore Mirror, and regularly contribute to Deccan Herald and other mainstream publications . I am Fiction Editor with Kitaab International. I live in Bangalore, India, with my computer and my family.

11 countries, 32 writers. Stories by Asia's most loved and well-respected contemporary writers, and promising new voices. Click on image to know more and buy.

Click on image to know more

Going Home in the Rain and Other Stories by Monideepa Sahu

In this collection of short stories, strangers waiting at a bus stop take off on a magical journey. Going home in the rain can mean taking unlikely detours. A mother and son’s tour through a royal city becomes a journey of rediscovering each other. A traditional painter pours his life’s blood into his art. A lovely young mother proves herself to be beyond sweetness and light. Food becomes an instrument of torture in ‘Breakfast.’ A princess without a nose or a kingdom finds unexpected allies in the aftermath of a nuclear winter. Everyday situations and people reveal extraordinary facets. These radiant images range from warm and humane to poignant and chilling. They reveal the whimsy and playfulness, the raw edges, the heartbreak, and all things in-between that comprise the human condition.

‘A classic story teller’ SHASHI DESHPANDE

“Monideepa Sahu constructs her stories on strong, clear lines, building character, detail and mood, giving in the end, a glimpse of life.” USHA KR

Reviews of Going Home in the Rain

This wonderfully insightful biography, rich in anecdotes and little-known facts, brings alive this legendary figure to contemporary readers. Monideepa Sahu vividly recounts Rabindranth’s experiences at school that helped to formulate his vision of Shantiniketan. She also traces the evolution of his poetry from schoolboy rhymes in dog-eared notebooks to universally loved poetry, prose, novels and short stories.Click on the image to know more

Riddle of the Seventh Stone

Rishabh the rat and Shashee the spider are quite happy with the way they are: rummaging around in Venkat Thatha's wonderful, musty, dusty, rare herbs shop. Until, that is, they stumble upon a magical powder and find themselves transformed into human children.It’s not easy being a kid! There’s school and homework and wearing clothes and – yuk! – having to use soap… but even worse, their home is under threat from an evil moneylender known as the Shark. Can Rishabh solve the cryptic clues that lead to King Kempe Gowda’s fabulous treasure before the Shark can get to it? Will the vermin survive Ajji’s herbal pesticide attack? Will Shashee be able to spin her way out of this tangled web of intrigue? With the help off other children, friendly cockroaches, cheeky mosquitoes and a very Big Bandicoot, they set out of prove that no problem is too big even for the smallest of creatures. A 166 page novel best for readers in Std. 5th and above. Click on the picture to buy in India. The books is also on amazon.com and the publisher, Zubaan books, will ship to any country. Links below.

A Rainbow Feast: New Asian Stories

My story among 25 short stories by young and prizewinning Asian writers from 15 countries: Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the UAE, Guyana, UK, USA and Australia. Edited by Prof Mohammad Quayum. Click on the photo to buy.

Music of the Stars and other love stories

A cool new anthology from Scholastic NovaMusic of the Stars and other Love Stories is an anthology of diverse, beautifully-written love stories that cover a range of themes and styles. From inter-galactic romances to magic realism to coming-of-age love stories this diverse collection contains contributions from various popular writers of young adult literature : *Aditya Bidikar *Anil Menon *Bikram Ghosh *Diksha Basu *Kenny Deroi Basumatary *Monideepa Sahu *Payal Dhar *Rasik Chopra *Salil Chaturvedi *Tharun James Jimani *Trisha Ray .

THE NEW ANTHEM:the subcontinent in its own words

My short story in a cross border collection by writers from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. South Asia first found its English voice in literature and in song in the nineteenth century. It changed and morphed over two hundred years so that it now boasts of as many registers as there are languages and dialects within its geographical frontiers.From Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie and Raj Kamal Jha to Amit Chaudhuri, Altaf Tyrewala, Padma Vishwanathan and Tabish Khair, this book anthologises 23 major writers of fiction who, with their original narrative styles, have reinterpreted the region s turbulent history at both personal and national levels.The New Anthem confirms that many of the most brilliant storytellers of world literature were born in the Indian subcontinent. Ahmede Hussain weaves the anthology together to make it a testimony to the brilliance of south Asian fiction.Click on the photo to buy at attractive discounts.

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Africa-Asia anthology

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Sports stories, Scholastic

My story in an exciting new collection. Should Sabina participate in the track events at school and risk her conservative dad's displeasure? Enter the kingdom of the King of the River. Click on the photo to order

The Puffin Book of Mystery Stories

My story in a chilling, edgy collection for young people.This anthology includes Satyajit Ray, Payal Dhar, Anshumani Ruddra, Sonja Chandrachud, Poile Sengupta some of India s best storytellers and tales guaranteed to keep you awake through the night. Click on the image to buy at attractive discounts

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Diwali sparkles on in this collection contaiing a story of mine. Also check out the Scholastic Eid and Christmas Stories collections. Click on the photo to buy.

Ripples: stories by Indian women writers

my story in this fresh new collection. Click on the image to read reviews and buy at attractive discounts.